Caster



y1.1. KEEPING.

CASTER. APFLlCATl-ON FILED FEB. 24,1Q21.

1,388,721, Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

3513 mmm): u cq PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. KEEPIN G, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application led February 24, 1921. Serial No. 447,573.

To @ZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAsJ. KEEPING, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in a Caster, `of which the `following is a specication.

This invention relates to casters and more particularly to that type of casters adapted to be used in moving and transporting heavy store fixtures, or articles of furniture from one position to another.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved type of caster which may be temporarily or permanently positioned tothe bottom or corners of various objects such as store fixtures, furniture, show cases, packing boxes and other heavy and cumbrous bodies when it is desired to move the same from one position to another without damage or injury to the floor.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a caster constructed and arranged to lie very close in proximity to the floor in order to receive heavy bodies thereon without the necessity of materially raising said bodies and thus permitting the removal oi the same when the body is in this position.

Another object of the invention will be found in the construction of a caster whereby the weight of the body being transported will be directed on the caster wheel proper, provision being had for securely retaining the body while being moved to prevent slipping from the caster.

Another and very important object of the invention resides 1n constructing a caster which will be extremely simple, consisting of comparatively few parts therefore inexpensive to manufacture, practical and highly efficient in use and otherwise very advantageous, requiring a minimum of effort to position the same to dii'erent size and shape bodies to be moved.

With these objects in view and others which will be manifest and suggested as the nature and purpose of my invention are revealed in the following specification and drawings, wherein I have shown a practical, yet preferred embodiment thereof,

Fi re 1 is a side view showing the device applied to a body shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a retaining screw.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like arts represent similar parts in the speci ication, 5 designates a pedestal preferably constructed of brass or heavy metal having a right angular portion 6 on which the body to be moved shown in dotted lines by F ig. 1 is adapted to rest. Retaining screws 7 8 in the horizontal portion 6 of the pedestal have their split ends 9 slanting toward the vertical wall of the pedestal so that the weight of the body being transported will be inclined and directed to the supporting caster now to be described.

An aperture 10 centrally of the vertical wall of the pedestal and in proximity to the horizontal portion 6 thereof is adapted to receive the screw threaded shank l1 of a stationary spindle 12, the spindle and shank being preferably cast in one solid piece and rovided with a flange 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. A wide caster wheel 14 is positioned on the spindle 12 and normally bears against the flange 13, the caster wheel being held in position by a cotter pin 15 which passes through an aperture near the outer end of said stationary spindle. It will be noted that the caster wheel is provided with the usual openings l5a and is so mounted that the bottom thereof is but slightly below the bottom 16 of the horizontal portion 6 of the pedestal. By this construction, it will be readily seen that it is only necessary to but slightly raise the body to be transported in order to position the horizontal portion 6 beneath the same thus requiring a minimum oi' effort in the actual use of the caster. In other words, by just slightly tilting the large body to be transported the pedestal may be slid thereunder and the pointed retaining screws will hold the said body from slipping and in addition will tend to throw the weight of such body on the caster wheel 14.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated my invention embodied in one form by way of example, and which in practice has been found to be highly satisfactory in obtaining the desired results. It will be ob# vious however that other embodiments may be adopted, and that various changes in the details of construction may be resorted toV by thoseskilled in the' artwitiiout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.V It is furthermore understood. that the invention is not necessarily limited or restricted `to the precisev elements shown except in so far as such limitations are specified in the sulect matter being claimed aving shown and described my invention, what I claim as new and desire t'o secure by Letters Patent ofthe U. S. is

Hl. In a device of the cla'ssdescribed comprising an L-shaped supportingpedestal, a

` orizontal spindle removably secured to the verticalwall of said pedestal and in proximity to the bottomfthereof,l a wide caster wheel journaled on said spindle, and a lurality of removable, sharp, securing me rs on the horizontal base of said pedestal.

2. In a device of the class described oomprising a substantially wide L-shaped supporting pedestal, a horizontal spindle removably secured to the vertical wall of Said pedestal and in proximity to the bottom thereof, a flange on said spindlelyng conti ous to the said vertil wall, a wide caster w eel journaled' on said s indle, a cotter pin retaining said caster whee and a plurality of removable, securing members having sharp points inclined toward the vertical wall to retain the body and throw the weight thereof lon the caster wheel.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature hereto.

THOMAS J. KEEPING. 

